The present disclosure relates generally to rotary machines and, more specifically, to systems and methods for positioning masking plugs on a component of a rotary machine.
At least some known rotary machines, such as gas turbines, include components, such as turbine nozzles, rotor blade airfoils, and/or shrouds, formed from a substrate over which a coating is applied. At least some of such components include surface features, such as cooling apertures, that extend through the coating and into, and/or through, the substrate. Repair of some such components requires the coating to be removed from, and subsequently reapplied to, the substrate. Surface features previously formed in the substrate remain after the substrate has been repaired. However, in at least some cases, recoating the component may undesirably obstruct and/or obscure surface features located on the underlying substrate.
At least some known repair methods include positioning plugs over the surface features in the substrate prior to the coating being reapplied, such that the plugs inhibit the coating material from obstructing the surface features. However, where a large number of surface features are present on the component, a large amount of time and effort may be required to properly position a plug over each surface feature, and then to later remove the plugs after the coating is reapplied.